Cloaked In Red
by kat hatake90
Summary: Everyone thinks that The Big Bad Wolf ate poor little red riding hood and her grandmother. After suffering from such a tragedy how could Bigby ever get Red to forgive him, or does he even need to be forgiven?
1. Chapter 1

**I would like to inform everyone that this will be somewhat different from the story line of A Wolf Among us. And the most I know about Fables is what I have read online. So, if I get some information wrong, sorry.**

 **I do hope you guys enjoy!**

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 _The man watched as the wolf swallowed the girl with a red cloak whole. He watched as her body created a bulge that glided down its neck and into his belly. The wolf licked his lips and grinned in satisfaction._

 _The man was frozen in place, watching the scene before him. The wolf turned to the man, his glowing yellow eyes intent on claiming a third victim. The man finally took action and raised his ax to the wolf, swinging as hard as he could._

Bigby scratched at the stubbles over growing onto his neck. The elevator dinged when it reached the floor of his apartment in the woodland apartments. He yawned and popped his neck that was tweaked from falling out of Toad's hotel with the Woodsman. All of it started with a prostitute.

'Red was right. You're not as bad as people say you are.' The nameless prostitutes words rang in his head as he approached his door.

He stopped short when he saw that the door was tweaked open and sighed. "Colin what have I said about…" A sweet and unforgettable smell seeped through his door that made him stop short.

Bigby knew instantly that it was _her_. He entered his apartment and saw a woman with raven curls, with skin as white as Snow's, curled up on his recliner sound asleep.

To everyone else, she was called Red. But to him, he knew her as Renee. Renee Elaine Daughtry, the little red riding hood.

He sighed and goes into his kitchen, washing his face after a long day of playing sheriff to the fables. He opened his normally empty fridge and sees it full of prepared food. "Renee." He muttered.

"She cares about you, you know." A talking pig came grunting over to him with tired and old eyes. "You know you would starve if it wasn't for her."

"Colin, you shouldn't be here? What if somebody saw you?"

Colin huffed. "Don't give me that crap. You don't know what it's like at The Farm. Please don't send me back. I'm begging you, Bigby."

Bigby poured himself a glass of bourbon. "Calm down. I'm not sending you back."

Colin stares at the drink in his hand. "Is that uh… for me?"

Bigby looks down at his drink and takes a sip. "Nope." He moves past him to sort through his mail.

"The house didn't blow itself down, Bigby. That's all I'm saying." The pig followed him, trying to play the guilt trip on Bigby. "Do with that what you will. Now I'm not saying that it's a good reason to definitely been offered a drink, but uh… it would have helped ease some of the pain you once caused me. It also would have shown everyone how different you are." He waited for the wolf's reply.

Bigby shrugged off the guilt trip like it was nothing. "If that was all you were saying I would be able to get some rest now."

Colin furrowed is snout. "I take it all back. This is why everyone hates you."

Bigby turned around at that comment. "So everyone hates me?"

Colin saw the sadness Bigby tried to hide beneath his eyes and sighed. "Nah. I'm just giving you shit. If she's able to forgive you…" He nods his head in the direction of the sleeping girl.

Bigby glanced over at Renee, finding it peaceful to listen to her steady breathing. "Look, I'm doing my best here."

"Clearly that is not true with the selfishness with the bourban." Bigby rolled his eyes and set his glass on the floor. "Thank you, Bigby." He lapped at the liquor with his tongue and looked back up to Bigby. "And hates the wrong word. I should have said that they fear you. You ate a lot of people back in the day."

Bigby turned away from Colin, remembering the days back in the homeland, eating villages of people. "I thought we were all supposed to have a fresh start here. I can't change the past."

"Well you can't change people's memories either." Colin slumped down to lazily lick his drink. "People are scared of you. I mean, just look at your hands." Colin stopped talking when Renee stirred awake from her slumber.

Renee took in a deep breath and yawned, looking around, trying to remember where she was. Her baby blue eyes swept over and met with Bigby's sharp brown eyes. She shot up, realizing that she fell asleep at his apartment. "I'm so sorry Bigby. I fell asleep in your chair." His eyes softened and he gave her a light chuckle.

Bigby waved her comment away. While doing so, he saw how his hands were bruised and his knuckles her bloodied up. Colin's comment worried him about how Renee would take seeing his hands, roughed up from fighting the Woodsman. "Don't worry about it." She caught a glimpse of his hands and he could sense that she was worried. 'She already noticed.' He scratched his head. "Injuries come with the job. It'll heal in no time."

She approached him and gently took one of his hands into hers, examining the damage. Just her touch made his inner beast go wild, that was until he looked at her burn scar that curled around her hand. It was an injury that occurred in the homelands. He always felt responsible for it.

As if reading his thoughts she sighed and gave him an angry look. "Stop it." She let go of his hand and grabbed her purse. "I'm sorry I disturbed you, but I worry about you not eating right. I hope you don't mind that I broke into your apartment and filled your fridge with actual food… not left over Chinese." Her eyes glanced over to the box of take out Chinese that was sitting on the coffee table for who knows how long. He gave her a guilty look. "Bye Colin." She said to the pig.

"Bye Red." They both watched her leave the apartment. "Guess I should say, most people are scared of you."

Bigby gave him a low growl before slumping down on his one seater couch, instantly falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_The Wolf took in a big wiff of the air. The wind carried a sweet and unforgettable scent through the air. Something deep in his gullet awoke at the smell; a hunger he knew wouldn't be curbed until he had whatever was making that scent._

 _The fur on his back furrowed out as he charged towards the scent through The Black Forest. He could hear the soft patter of someone walking through the forest. As he approached the figure , he slowed his pace to not be heard. He peaked past a tree, still some distance away, and saw what was a young girl with a red cloak. In her hands she carried a basket with… The Wolf sniffed the air. "Biscuits." He growled quietly._

Crack! _The girl gasped and quickly turned in his direction. "Who's there?" The Wolf could tell that the girl was no older than 18, with raven hair peeking out from around her hood, snow white skin, and soft baby blue eyes to match._

 _'Tch.' The Wolf cursed at himself for being clumsy while sneaking up on his prey. With no other choice, he revealed himself, a wolf of great size with sharp glowing yellow eyes and fur as black as the night sky._

 _"My, what big teeth you have…" The Wolf could smell the fear growing in her._

 _"All the better to eat you with, my dear." The Wolf licked his chops._

A loud knock at the door woke Bigby up from his dream. Or nightmare. He wiped the sleep from his eyes as the knock came again, this time louder and more distressed. He smelled the air that was heavy with the lingering scent of Renee, now mixed with the scent of Snow White.

"I'm coming." He calls to the door as he gets up and is walking towards it. He straightened up his tie and opens the door to a very stressed Snow. He could smell that she was scared. "Snow?" he said with worry.

"Bigby, come with me." Snow walked down the halls of the Woodland Apartment, trying hard to act casual. Bigby locked his door and hurried after her.

"Mind telling me what's going on?"

"No." She said a little too harsh. She sighed. "Just… not yet." As she turned the corner, she bumped into a red haired fable. "Good morning…" She said a bit too chipper. "Or… evening I guess." She gave the fable a small smile. The fable smiled at them and went on with his business. Anxiously , Snow pressed the elevator button. "These walls are paper thin. I can't let news get out and cause a panic among the fables. We'll talk outside."

"…Right." Bigby thought it best to just leave it at that for now until he found out what Snow was so distressed over. Waves of fear kept coming off of her. 'Must be something bad for her to get me in the middle of the night.'

When they reached the entrance to the apartments, Bigby could see that there was a security jacket covering something up. He stepped down to take a closer look at what it was underneath, looking back up at Snow for reassurance.

Slowly, he lifted up the jacket to reveal the head of the prostitute he had saved from the Woodman. "No." He whispered.

"You knew her?" Bigby shook his head. "She's… not a mundy… is she?"

"She's… a prostitute." Snow crossed her arms, a little concerned that he knows such a person. "The Woodsman attacked her earlier today. I stepped in to help her."

Snow gave him a shocked look. "You don't think he…" She was in such disbelief she couldn't even finish that sentence.

"I don't know what to think yet. We need to investigate the scene a bit more."

Snow looked out past the gates of the apartments to see some mundies passing by. "Do it quickly."

He complied with her command and examines the head as well as the blood trail he could smell coming from the side of the building.

When he came back from investigating, Snow anxiously looked at him. "So…?"

"Well, the head was placed here with great care. And placed here so that we would find it. I'm guessing that they cut themselves on the iron fence while dropping off the head." Bigby leaned down closer to the head. "I don't know of any blade that would make a cut this clean."

"Are you thinking magic? Another fable?"

"Yah. A powerful one at that." He was about to get up when he noticed something sticking out of her mouth. "Huh?" He reached down to her mouth and pulled it out. "Her ribbon…" A ring was tied into the ribbon. "I don't recognize this symbol."

Snow took a closer look. "Hm… neither do it." She straightened back up and put her hands on her hip. "We should head to the business office. There should be something on her there. That way we can get it contact with her next of kin. Mr. Crane will not be happy to hear about this."

Bigby cringed at the sound of that scared little rodents name.

Snow noticed. "As long as King Cole is gone, Crane is acting mayor. He needs to know about this." Bigby could already see the conversation with Crane and how it would play out with him blaming Snow and wanting nothing to do with it. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Besides, he's going to find out eventually. Best for him to find out from us."

"Don't tell him. I've got all the motivation I need for this investigation without him breathing down my neck." He looked back at the nameless fable and closed her eyes. For a second he no longer saw the nameless fable, he saw Renee. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"He's the mayor." She persisted.

"Deputy mayor." He corrected. "The positions a joke."

She shook her head and headed towards the door of the apartments. "Take this to Dr. Swineheart and see what he has to say. After that, meet me back at the business office."

Bigby sighed as the door closed behind her. He tenderly picked up the fables head, covering it with the security jacket, doing as he was told. It was going to be a long couple sleepless days ahead of him. "I should have eaten before falling asleep."

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 **I do hope you are enjoying so far. Not much of Renee this chapter but don't worry, there will be more! Please review.**

 **A big thank you to Tamberlin3 for reviewing!**


	3. Chapter 3

_The girl in the red cloak narrowed her eyes at him. "That's a cheesy line to say to your victim." A rustle was heard some distance away. The Wolf could smell the fear pouring off of her as she looked in the direction of the noise. That was when he realized that the fear he smelt from her, wasn't a fear of him, but for something else. "I need to go." She says in a panic._

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _If you aren't going to hurry up and eat me then I need to go." She started walking off, pulling the basket closer to herself._

 _"_ _Wait." He growled after her. 'Grr, this was not the plan.' She didn't fear him, but was scared of some noise in the forest. The Wolf didn't want the first human that he ate to be somebody who was not afraid of him, he needed somebody who feared him. But her smell enticed him. He would be back for her. That was a promise._

Bigby pulled out his favorite brand of cigarettes, Huff n' Puff. He took a long drag as he reviewed everything that happened just hours ago. He was walking past a mundy coffee shop when he heard his name. "Hm?" he turned to see Renee come out of the coffee shop, dawning the coffee shop uniform. "Renee? You work here?" The strong smell of coffee must have masked her scent

"It's been tough lately. I have no other options left." Bigby frowned at her. Her only other option would be for her to go to the farm with the rest of the fables that either can't afford to stay glamoured or are too poor to still function and work in the mundy world. Her story was not the first. He was sure that the nameless working girl was out of options, lowering herself to prostitution.

"You should have said something to me. You know that I will help you, no matter what." She gave him a kind smile.

"That's exactly why I didn't say anything. Don't worry, Bigby, I can take care of myself. Here." She handed him a coffee. "You look like you could use it." He gave her a look. "Don't worry; I messed up on somebodies order. It would just be thrown in the trash but then you came by. Take it." Bigby sighed, and relieved her of the coffee. Their hands grazed each other, and as always, his inner beast tried hard to claw his way out to her. It took everything in him to hold the beast at bay.

Renee could see the stress on his face and gave him a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, taking a step back from her. "Yah. Just sheriff stuff. I need to meet up with Snow about an issue, but I'm sure I'll see you around."

"We do have a knack for bumping into each other. Take care, Bigby. And make sure that you are eating right." Bigby snickered. He couldn't tell if she was referring to eating healthy or not eating people.

"As you wish, your majesty." He smiled at her. She gave him a small wave before turning and going back to work.

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Bigby walked into the business office, seeing that there was already a line of fables, all waiting to have a meeting with Crane. Which meant that they would all be meeting with Snow since Crane runs off at the slightest bit of stress.

"What, are you blind? Can't you see there's a line." One of the fables stepped out of line to confront him. "I've been waiting here a half hour already and you just get to walk in?" The fable with black hair and one eyes misted over got up in Bigby's face. "Must be nice being the sheriff. Get to do whatever the fuck you want."

"I kind of work here." Bigby said matter affactly, expressing through his tone that he doesn't want to be here at the office.

"And what great work you do sheriff." The fables tone was of fake admiration.

Bigby let his comment slide. "Hm… that didn't feel very genuine." He walked into the business office.

"Fucker." The fable called out to Bigby before the door swung closed.

Bigby walked into what he knew was going to happen. A stressed out Crane yelling at Snow. "And now you tell me that there is a killer on the loose?" Cranes voice carried over like the wimp he was."You two tittering behind my back." Snow stuttered between his barrage f insults. "Cuz you are the one bringing this to me, Miss Snow. The one who so simply stumbles upon this catastrophe on our very door step. The last thing I need with Mayor Cole away is a hysteria among the fables. Do you understand me?" Cranes printed his bony finger at Snow.

It angered Bigby the way he talked to Snow. He let out a low growl as he approached them.

"Yes, of course…" Snow was about to retort back when Crane interjected.

"Don't interrupt me!"

Snow wouldn't have it anymore and huffed. "You asked me a question."

Crane scoffed. "Don't change the subject. You are to blame for the unpleasantness, Miss Snow."

"I brought you this news as soon as I could." She scowled at him.

"You are trusted to keep things running smoothly around here. This is a disaster!" Crane straightened his glasses. "Who else is to blame if not you?"

Bigby heard enough. "Back off, Ichabod! It's not her fault and you damn well know it."

Snow scowled at Bigby. "I don't need your help Bigby."

Bigby brushed off her comment and continued glaring at Crane. "Instead of trying to assign blame here, maybe we should figure out how to catch the fucker who did this."

"Oh, says the man who is most to blame for this catastrophe. How convenient." Crane says sarcastically. "Sheriff, you are the one charged to protect the citizens of Fabletown. Your failure to do so cost someone their life, and the safety of the entire community." Crane sat down behind his desk, Bigby figured it was because he wasn't man enough to stand up and face him. He seemed to calm down. "Tell me you've been doing something. Are there any leads? Suspects? Anything? Anything at all?"

Bigby sighed. "The Woodsman is a person of interest. From what we can gather, he was the last person who was seen with the victim." Though when he said it out loud, he couldn't fully believe that Woody would be able to do something like that.

"The Woodsman? That drunk wreck was the cause of all this." Crane narrowed his eyes.

"It's only a lead. Nothing certain."

Crane stood up at that comment. "Well that better be certain sheriff or I'll have you and Snow out of a job. You two need to hndle this quickly and quietly." Crane glowers at them, then looks to Snow. "Make sure you call Vivian to let her know that I'm coming in early for my…massage. And where is that bottle of wine I told you to get?" Snow looked around on his desk in disbelief.

"I swear I…"

Crane scoffed, cutting her off. "Never mind. I'll go and get it myself. Seems that I can only rely on myself to get things done around here. Do your job sheriff, or I'll find someone who can." He slams the office door behind him.

'That's it!' thought Bigby. "You know what…" He turned and gave Crane a growl, but stopped when Snow put her hand on his shoulder.

"You'll only make things worse." She said softly. She sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Well that could have gone better."

"I hate to say I told you so but I did tell you not to tell him."

"I know…I probably should have listened to you." Snow watches as Bigby pulls out his Huff n' Puff. "He doesn't like it when people…" Bigby gives her a look of 'I-don't-give-a-damn. "Never mind."

"So…" He takes a big drag. "Wine to a massage? That's odd."

"I know, the weird part about it is that he actually is being nice to someone. And I know I bought that damn bottle."

"I don't understand why you let him make you go on these stupid errands as if you're his wife." Bigby immediately regretted saying wife, knowing it would strike a nerve with her history with men.

"Sometimes you just have to pick and choose your battles." Bigby could understand that, and was glad that she didn't get outwardly mad at him for his comment.

"Is he gone?" Came a timid voice from behind the bookshelves.

The head of a green monkey peaked out to see that Crane had left. The green monkey then stretched its wings and stumbled over to them with a half empty bottle of wine that looks strikingly like the one that Snow had bought for Crane.

"Bufkin!" She gave him a stern look. "Drinking? This early? Where did you get that?" She leaned down closer to his level.

"It was by Mr. Ichabod's desk." He gave her an apologetic look.

"Then don't you think that it belongs to him?" He gave her a shrug and a small smile. She sighed, taking the bottle so that he wouldn't drink anymore. "Bufkin can you get the books."

"Which books?" Bufkin eagerly replied.

"The ones with all the fables in it."

"Mmmm… Not sure that was any more specific." Bigby mumbled.

Snow scowled at him. "Then bring the first three. We'll have to start there." She watched him fly off. "He knows which ones I'm talking about. There is bound to be some information on her here, at least her real name." There was some awkward silence while waiting for Bufkin. "Um… I'm gonna sort through some of my paperwork that I need to catch up on while I wait. Why don't you consort the mirror and see if you can find anything."

"Sounds like a good idea." He approached the mirror, which to someone just glancing looks like just a regular mirror. But once he was standing in front of it, the mirror turned cloudy and revealed a face. "Hey, magic mirror, I've got a question."

The mirror narrowed his eyes. "You know the rules."

"I don't have time for this shit."

"You're impatience is callow, you're needlessly cruel, but have some respect for our historied rules."

Bigby sighed and tried his best to make his questions rhyme. "Mirror mirror…" He groaned. "If you're able, tell me all about this fable."

"See, was that so hard?" The mirror smiled.

"Yah, I'm about two seconds away from kicking a hole in you." He crossed his arms trying to restrain his anger.

"Fine. Of which fable do you wish to know?" he asked curiously.

"Show me… Snow." Even though she was in the office, he wanted to say her name just for kicks. The mirror changed once more and revealed Snow on the phone, dealing with business matters.

"Not much of a request. She's in this very room. Get serious please."

Bigby sighed and scratched his scruff. "I don't know her name."

"Well until you do, I can't help you."

"Then show me the Woodsman." The mirror revealed a drunk and staggering Woodsman staggering down a street. "Where is he going?"

"What you see is complete; he is staggering down a street."

"What street?" Bigby was getting annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Bigby." The mirror shook his head. Bigby already knew that the mirror only had so much magic.

He sighed. "Fine…" A thought popped into his head. "Show me… Renee, the Little Red Riding Hood." The mirror changed to Renee walking down the dark streets. The expression on her face was of fear. She kept looking back behind her as if there was somebody following her. Bigby could feel the anger and concern building up inside of him. Once again, her fear was misplaced. "Where is she?"

"Bigby, we have already been through this." Bigby grabbed the mirror so hard, you could hear the wooden frame start to crack. His eyes began to glow yellow. "Breaking me won't help." The mirror said, trying to calm him down.

The head of a green monkey peaked out to see that Crane had left. The green monkey then stretched its wings and stumbled over to them with a half empty bottle of wine that looks strikingly like the one that Snow had bought for Crane.

"Bufkin!" She gave him a stern look. "Drinking? This early? Where did you get that?" She leaned down closer to his level.

"It was by Mr. Ichabod's desk." He gave her an apologetic look.

"Then don't you think that it belongs to him?" He gave her a shrug and a small smile. She sighed, taking the bottle so that he wouldn't drink anymore. "Bufkin can you get the books."

"Which books?" Bufkin eagerly replied.

"The ones with all the fables in it."

"Mmmm… Not sure that was any more specific." Bigby mumbled.

Snow scowled at him. "Then bring the first three. We'll have to start there." She watched him fly off. "He knows which ones I'm talking about. There is bound to be some information on her here, at least her real name." There was some awkward silence while waiting for Bufkin. "Um… I'm gonna sort through some of my paperwork that I need to catch up on while I wait. Why don't you consort the mirror and see if you can find anything."

"Sounds like a good idea." He approached the mirror, which to someone just glancing looks like just a regular mirror. But once he was standing in front of it, the mirror turned cloudy and revealed a face. "Hey, magic mirror, I've got a question."

The mirror narrowed his eyes. "You know the rules."

"I don't have time for this shit."

"You're impatience is callow, you're needlessly cruel, but have some respect for our historied rules."

Bigby sighed and tried his best to make his questions rhyme. "Mirror mirror…" He groaned. "If you're able, tell me all about this fable."

"See, was that so hard?" The mirror smiled.

"Yah, I'm about two seconds away from kicking a hole in you." He crossed his arms trying to restrain his anger.

"Fine. Of which fable do you wish to know?" he asked curiously.

"Show me… Snow." Even though she was in the office, he wanted to say her name just for kicks. The mirror changed once more and revealed Snow on the phone, dealing with business matters.

"Not much of a request. She's in this very room. Get serious please."

Bigby sighed and scratched his scruff. "I don't know her name."

"Well until you do, I can't help you."

"Then show me the Woodsman." The mirror revealed a drunk and staggering Woodsman staggering down a street. "Where is he going?"

"What you see is complete; he is staggering down a street."

"What street?" Bigby was getting annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Bigby." The mirror shook his head. Bigby already knew that the mirror only had so much magic.

He sighed. "Fine…" A thought popped into his head. "Show me… Renee, the Little Red Riding Hood." The mirror changed to Renee walking down the dark streets. The expression on her face was of fear. She kept looking back behind her as if there was somebody following her. Bigby could feel the anger and concern building up inside of him. Once again, her fear was misplaced.

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 **Ha ha ha I didn't think about deputy. I have other plans for her but that is an excellent idea. Thank you again for the review!**


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